Bachelor Auction
by parttimeficwriter
Summary: To steal someone elses line this fic 'does exactly what it says on the tin! RH
1. Chapter 1

**_I went away for a weekend a while ago and got attacked by this particular plot bunny whilst on a train sat next to an old lady who kept trying to go to sleep on my shoulder...I think she thought I was nuts because I kept giggling to myself! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it..._**

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**_Big thanks to everyone that helped me out with this one - you're all brilliant xx_**

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"Absolutely not"

"But Harry..."

"I've told you. The answer is no. I don't care if it is for a good cause, Mr Younis," he said as he handed back the colourful flyer that he had been presented with moments earlier. "Nor do I care that the D.G. has endorsed this ridiculous charade Miss Portman. That is the end of the matter as far as I am concerned."

Jo and Zaf knew a dismissal when they heard one and filed out of the office quietly, both trying to think of a way that they could convince Harry to take part. The Charity Bachelor Auction had been Jo's idea initially: a way of raising money for a good cause and a way of trying to get Harry and Ruth together. Jo was certain that Ruth would be unable to resist in bidding for Harry, especially if they made certain that he was bid on by every other female on the Grid...

The flaw in the plan was that Harry was being so damn stubborn and refusing to have anything to do with it. Jo vowed to find a way of changing his mind.

_----_

Unfortunately for Jo, by the time the day of the auction had arrived Harry had still not changed his position on taking part. She was becoming increasingly frustrated with him and with Ruth for not taking the many hints she had dropped about the benefits of them both attending. In the week leading up to the event, Jo had tried everything she could think of, big hints, little clues, suggestive comments, appeals to her charitable nature but still Ruth seemed adamant to leave Harry well-alone regarding the issue. Her latest conversation with Ruth had been just as infuriating.

"So who's your money going on then Ruth?" she had enquired casually as she perched on Zaf's desk.

Slightly startled by Jo's sudden appearance and dragged from her day dreams of Harry, she feigned interest in what was on her computer screen before turning to look at Jo.

"Oh, er, well I'm not sure."

"You are coming though right? I mean it is for charity. I'm really pleased at how many people are taking part actually, although it's a shame that Harry won't join in."

"Yes, well maybe that's a good thing," she mumbled more to herself than anyone else.

"Why, scared you'd spend all your money on him?!"

"Something like that," she muttered to herself once Jo was completely out of ear shot.

Deciding that enough was enough, Jo took a deep breath and stalked into Harry's office as soon as Ruth had left to go on her lunch. There was nothing else for it, she was going to have to resort to dirty tactics and try and manipulate him into going.

"Jo, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, I need you to sign off on the surveillance reports from Special Branch"

He nodded and held out his hand for the reports "I thought Ruth was sorting things out with Special Branch?"

"She is but I said I'd bring them in for signing, she wants to nip to the bank." She watched in wonder as his brow furrowed at the news and she lowered her voice to a conspirational whisper "between me and you I think she's planning on making a bid for Zaf or Adam"

"Is there a reason you're telling me this Joanna?" he asked forcefully, fully expecting to frighten her off from whatever conversational goal she had in mind. When she didn't immediately leave he stared hard at her, waiting for her to get the message.

"I suppose I'm just trying to point out that she can't make a bid for anyone who isn't taking part Harry. Think about it."

She swept out of his office and left him to ponder what she had said.

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"Good evening and welcome to this evening's bachelor auction. Please remember that all proceeds from this evening are being donated to charity, so with that in mind have your cheque books at the ready. To start the night of with a bang, let me introduce to you our first bachelor…"

Adam strolled out on to the stage just as the music started up. Enjoying the moment far more than was probably required.

_I'm bringing sexy back, them other guys don't know how to act…_

"The blue eyed boy of section D, Adam Carter, is the kind of man that sets pulses racing with just one look. He has brains, he has brawn and he also has a torso to rival that of any shown in Heat magazine. I have no doubt that an evening with this man will leave you wanting more…"

Bidding was brisk and Adam couldn't help feeling smug when the final bid came in at £375. He also felt rather pleased that the successful bidder was Jess from Section E; his conversation with her in the canteen the other day had obviously left a lasting impression.

The M.C. moved onto the next bachelor.

"Ladies, please give a warm welcome to Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome. With a wicked sense of humour and a deviant imagination – so I'm told – an evening with Zaf is a must for anyone who loves fast cars, cheeky comments and action packed dates."

Zaf strutted across the stage to the music. _Smooth Operator_ seemed apt to him and he made sure to smile and wink at some of the women at the front of the stage. From the looks of things, he was going to be quite popular this evening…or so he thought until the MC carried on speaking.

"Don't let the attractive blonde he lives with put you off – they're just good friends…let's start the bidding shall we, £50…anyone?"

An awkward silence filled the room and Zaf began to pray silently. He opened his eyes in relief when he heard someone bid, only to shut them quickly and start praying again when he spotted that it was Debra Langham doing the bidding. Starting to panic when no other bids immediately followed, Zaf searched the room for help. Finding Jo and giving her increasingly imploring and desperate looks, he threw himself at the mercy of his flatmate.

Knowing she would regret it later but taking pity on him, Jo rolled her eyes before making her bid. She really didn't want to get into a bidding war with the annoying woman from HR, not only was she going to be out of pocket but people were now wrongly going to assume that there was, in fact, something going on between them.

Relieved when the older woman seemed to run out of steam and/or money, Jo made her final bid and tried to think of a fitting punishment for Zaf. He would, of course, have to reimburse her in full but she felt a definite need to torture him a little too.

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Malcolm looked imploringly at Harry as the door to the waiting room opened and he was asked if he was ready. Harry tried to offer a sympathetic look but was actually trying not to laugh at the look of sheer terror that had settled on Malcolm's face.

"Don't worry Malcolm. I'm sure they won't bite," was the best advice he could offer as he watched the quiet technician being practically dragged from the safety of the room. He had to chuckle as he heard the opening bars of _Wild Thing_ playing loudly through the speakers.

For his part, Malcolm blinked rapidly against the glare of the spotlights and tried to calm himself as he walked hesitantly onto the stage. He offered a weak smile as the MC encouraged him to explore the stage further. He was just beginning to relax a little when the MC began to 'sell' him.

"Ladies please welcome one of Thames House's most refined bachelors. Malcolm is a kind, caring and sensitive man, although I'm told he is a whiz with all sorts of gadgets and we all know that's a bonus!" The comment earned him a wolf whistle and he stopped cringing long enough to catch a fleeting glimpse of a familiar blonde woman. "There's a wild side to this man just waiting to be unleashed, let's start the bidding at £50."

Malcolm was immensely relieved when the bidding drew to a close and the smile on his face grew at an alarming rate when he realises who had placed the winning bid. Ros had turned her icy blue death glare on one of the admin girls that had apparently taken a bit of a shine to him. It hadn't taken much more than that for the quiet girl to drop out of the race all together. A small smile passed over Ros' features as the bidding came to a close: this may not be the ideal way to maintain her cold-hearted reputation but she reasoned that sometimes sacrifices had to be made and if anyone was going to unleash his wild side then it was most definitely going to be her.

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For what seemed like the hundredth time that day, Harry rued the impulse he had had to suddenly join in this madness. He also cursed Jo for meddling: he had been perfectly content not to play any part in this but she had played him. He couldn't decide if he was annoyed or impressed that she had managed to manipulate him. Alone with his thoughts, he was rapidly coming down on the annoyed side. It had suddenly occurred to him that he couldn't guarantee that Ruth would win the bidding; not that he could really think of anyone else that might bid on him, unless Juliet was there. His eyes widened at that thought and he shuddered at the prospect, deciding to squash that thought instantly otherwise it was likely he would never walk out on to the stage area.

He was the last man standing as it were, his staff having all gone before him and he had no idea what to expect once he got out there. Finally, the door opened and a girl he vaguely recognised from Section B ushered him out of the room. The first thing he noticed was the music that accompanied his arrival, he smiled at the choice and decided to try and relax as much as he could.

_I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, sooo sexy it hurts…_

It helped that he couldn't really see any of the audience members due to the glare from the lighting on the stage. Taking a slightly shaky breath, he walked slowly across towards one side of the stage, pausing to smile at the crowd as he casually placed one hand in his pocket before he turned and made his way to the other side.

The M.C. began talking and Harry tried not to laugh at how ridiculous he felt.

"Well Ladies and Gentlemen, our last bachelor this evening is none other than the head of Section D Harry Pearce. Harry describes his ideal woman as someone with a gentle sense of humour, principled but not foolish or naïve."

Harry tried in vain to find her in the crowd, it was no use, he couldn't see anything. He just hoped that she had remembered his words and realised that he was talking about her.

"Dig deep ladies because Harry is that rare breed of man, a true gentleman. Be prepared to be wined and dined at an exclusive restaurant before taking a moonlight stroll along the embankment. I'll start the bidding at 100 pounds."

He was more than a little surprised to find that he was bid on a great deal, it gave his ego a very pleasant boost when the bidding reached 500: he figured that he had at least given Adam and Zaf a run for their money. The auction seemed to be drawing to a close now: money was running out and Harry admitted that 500 quid was a lot of money for someone to part with just for a night out with him…especially when they wouldn't get anything other than a polite kiss on the cheek - his affections lay well and truly elsewhere. He was disappointed that he hadn't heard her bid for him; his ears had been strained trying to pick her out in the melee. It hadn't worked though and he doubted if she had made a bid for him at all. Perhaps Jo had been mistaken and she wasn't planning to attend at all…

Almost as if thoughts of her conjured her up, Harry heard the unmistakable sound of her voice shouting to be heard above the crowd.

"£657.35p"

A brief silence blanketed the hall as every pair of eyes in the room turned to look at the woman standing towards the back of the room. Ruth felt the heat rise in her cheeks as the ripples of excited whispers and murmurs filled the room, she was vaguely aware that her arm was still raised, her fingers curled around the slip of paper with her bank balance on it, but more than anything she was aware of him, watching her and smiling.

Harry prayed to God that no-one tried to outbid her. Now the crowd had parted slightly, he could just about make her out. He gazed at her intently, a giddy joy coursing through him at the knowledge she was there, making a claim for him in front of a room full of people.

"Sold to Ruth Evershed for £657.35p"

_There is more to come and it's just possible that I'll write it much faster if you leave me a review! x_


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it has taken me so long to update this fic, I've actually got to do some work nowadays so not as much free time anymore!**

**Thanks to Em for being my trusty beta.**

**Happy Belated Birthday Laurie x

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Jo rolled her eyes as she watched Ruth jump slightly when the door opened. For the seventh time that evening, Ruth was both relieved and disappointed that it was not Harry who had strolled into the back room where she was waiting nervously with Jo. After handing over a cheque for the agreed amount, she had spent the remaining 20 minutes in a complete flap trying to come up with something intelligent to say to him when he arrived. How was she supposed to interact with a man who she had just 'purchased' when he was not only her boss but the man that she has been secretly in love with for what seemed like forever?

Ruth jumped again as the door opened, and smiled bashfully as Harry walked in and spotted her. He gave Jo a brief nod of acknowledgement as she smiled at him triumphantly, before focusing all his attention on the brunette at the back of the room who was shuffling nervously from one foot to the other, her gaze fixed intently on the floor as she twisted the ring on her finger around and around. Jo looked on with genuine interest as the story unfolded in front of her, she couldn't wait to see what happened between them now. She waited with bated breath as he came to a stop in front of Ruth and reached a cautious hand out, touching her shoulder lightly in order to get her to look up at him. Their eyes met, and Jo swore that she could feel the tension crackling between them from where she was stood on the other side of the room. She was so sure they were about to kiss; she noticed Ruth had closed the gap between them slightly and was unconsciously licking her lips. She was so caught up in Harry and Ruth that she had failed to remember that she was waiting for her own bachelor to arrive.

Unaware of the tension in the room, Zaf bounded through the door to the waiting area and enveloped Jo in a massive bear hug.

"Have I told you lately just how good a flat mate you are?!" he hugged her harder "I'm serious Jo. That woman would have eaten me alive."

She rolled her eyes at him and shoved him away playfully. "You're afraid of the quiet lady from HR?!"

"I didn't say afraid...I'm just cautious. She gets this twinkle in her eye and I'm not sure I'd trust her not to take terrible advantage of me! Things like that can scar a man for life you know."

Jo snorted and shook her head at him. "You're just annoyed that no-one else bid on you."

"No I'm not, after all one of the prettiest ladies in the room bought me."

Colour rose steadily in Jo's cheeks as he winked at her and flashed her a cheeky smile. She tried to cover her embarrassment with an exasperated glare and a gentle shove of his shoulder.

"You're so full of it."

She looked away from the man in front of her, and another blush threatened to overwhelm her as she realised that Harry and Ruth were now watching _her,_ just as intently as she had been watching them a few moments ago. She couldn't be certain but she thought that Harry was trying not to laugh. Suddenly desperate to get out of the room, she was glad when Zaf suggested a drink at the pub before heading to the flat. She hurriedly agreed, offered a small wave in Harry and Ruth's direction and followed Zaf out of the door.

Harry chuckled to himself and made a silent wager that those two would end up being more than flatmates and work colleagues before the week was out. Turning his attention back to the affairs of his own heart, he gave Ruth a warm smile and offered her a lift home. He had been prepared to talk her into it but she surprised him with a quick acceptance of his offer coupled with an adorably shy smile.

Harry drove them through the night traffic, painfully aware of the woman sat in the passenger seat. For the first few minutes of the journey, Ruth had babbled on endlessly about the evening in general and he had recognised her ramblings for what they were; an attempt to cover up her nerves. He acknowledged to himself that she wasn't the only one that was nervous, he wanted so much to be able to make a success of this chance that he had been given. He wanted to show her how much he cared for her, that he respected her above all others and that she was the only woman he wanted to spend what little free time he had with. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to do all that without scaring her away again.

He was still lost in his thoughts as they pulled up outside her house. Harry was aware of her watching him out of the corner of his eye.

"So.." nervous laughter lapsed into silence as they realised they had both said the same thing at the same time.

"I'll walk you to the door."

"Oh, no. You don't have to do that Harry."

"£657 is a lot of money Ruth...I think the least I can do is make sure that you get your moneys worth."

A breathless laugh escaped her and she replied, without thought, "Don't forget the 35p"

His warm breath tickled her lips as he leaned over and whispered to her, "I'll be sure to make every penny count."

Ruth swallowed hard, her mind suddenly filled with the inappropriate thoughts his words had conjured up. At a loss as to how best respond to that remark, she did the only thing she could think of and smiled. She waited until he had climbed out of the car and was walking round to her side of the car before muttering under her breath that she was looking forward to it.

Ever the gentleman and true to his word, Harry escorted her to her door. He watched with amusement as she struggled to locate her keys, chuckling at the exasperated expression on her face as she rifled through the contents. The mock glare she shot him only intensified his laughter, and she rolled her eyes at him before letting out a small shout of triumph when she dragged the bunch of keys from their hiding place.

She moved to unlock the door and debated if she should invite him in for a drink or not; she didn't want to offend him by not inviting him in but she was almost certain that if he came in that she would end up either making a total mess of things or would quite possibly throw herself at him the moment the door closed.

"Spend the day with me tomorrow!?"

"Doing what?" she turned to face him slightly startled at the half question half plea. "I, I thought you wanted to do dinner again?"

"I do." He took a step closer to her and reached a tentative hand to her face, sweeping the hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. "I just want to spend some time with you is all. I don't care what we do; we could go for a one way trip around the sodding M25 and I wouldn't mind, so long as you're with me. We'll do something low key; that way you don't have to worry about people seeing us together and gossiping."

"I think that ship may have sailed when I bid all my money on you in front of most of Thames House." She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks at the memory but forced herself not to look away from him. "I, uh, I'd rather be happy and talked about Harry, than alone and miserable."

His gorgeous smile was contagious as he ran the backs of his fingers lightly down her cheek and whispered, "Me too."

"So, tomorrow then..." she fumbled for the words, keen to distract herself before she gave into the impulse to stand on her tiptoes and kiss him.

"Yes, I'll pick you up in the morning, say 10 o'clock?" his hand found its way back to his side, fingers tingling from where he had touched her. "You haven't said what you want to do."

"I'll tell you tomorrow!" she answered with a playful grin, before turning back to the door and opening it.

"Ok. Goodnight, Ruth."

"Night Harry."

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**You know the drill...leave a review and I'll post more!**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hmmm...this fic was only supposed to be two chapters long and now look what's happened, we're on the 3rd chapter and there's still more to come!

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Harry shivered and looked up at the sky menacingly as if, by glaring at the dark clouds above them, he could stop the inevitable rain fall. There was, he reflected, only one person that could get him to sit on the top deck of an open-air tour bus on a freezing cold November day. His mood was becoming as dark as the foreboding clouds as the squeaky voice of the tour guide filtered through the speakers once more. Why she had to pick sight seeing as an appropriate daytime activity, he had no idea. Nor did he understand why they had to get on a bus to do it. Or why they had to sit in the open air when it was bound to start raining soon.

He had to admit that her enthusiasm was slightly infectious though. Not content with listening to the scripted ramblings of the spiky haired youth that was acting as their tour guide, she had delighted in telling him all sorts of little bits of London trivia; most of it he already knew, although he didn't have the heart to tell her that. She seemed to be enjoying herself and was a lot more relaxed than she had been around him in months. He watched her smile and take in the city around them, and suddenly didn't feel quite so cold or gloomy about her choice of activities.

As she ostensibly watched the city sprawl past them, her hand, unexpectedly but not undesirably, found its way on top of his as it rested between them on the seat. Smile flickering at the corners of his mouth, he turned his hand until he was able to lace his fingers with hers, offering a gentle squeeze of her fingers when she finally turned and smiled bashfully. Right at that moment, it could have started raining toads and Harry didn't think he would notice. Such a simple gesture, a token of affection that shy teenagers the world over made to their first crushes, yet it evoked such a wealth of feeling in him that he almost laughed out loud. Never had a woman affected him so much and he wondered idly if she was aware of the power she wielded.

In truth, she was feeling pretty powerful; slightly heady from the events of the last few minutes. Ruth tired not to dwell on the fact that it had taken her twenty seven minutes to actually talk herself into touching him; rather, she revelled in the knowledge that he hadn't dragged his hand away. A sweet smile settled on her face as she allowed herself to enjoy the simple pleasure of feeling his fingers against hers.

"Are you cold?"

The soft spoken words would have been snatched away by the wind had he not leant in so close to her. His warm breath tickled her ear as he breathed and her body shivered involuntarily.

"A little." Although the heat now staining her cheeks was starting to warm her a bit.

Harry slipped his arm around her shoulder and slowly eased her body to rest against the warmth of his. She relaxed into his touch, taking the opportunity to snuggle up to him, marvelling at how warm he was and how well they fitted together.

--

'You aren't serious?"

"Of course I am Zaf! The flat needs a really good clean and I can think of no better way for you to repay me for saving you from being groped by Debra Langham!"

Noting the seriousness of her tone, he flicked Soccer AM off and decided to pay attention. If he was to get out of a day where he might have to scrub the bathroom clean he was going to need all his wits about him.

"You'll regret it you know..."

"Regret what?"

"Missing out on going on a date with me whilst you've got the chance."

She snorted loudly to try and cover up the fact that she was more interested in a date with him than she would admit to. A small part of her brain had kept her awake most of the night imagining date like scenarios with her flatmate…some of which were not entirely respectable.

"You can start by cleaning the kitchen. Who knows, do a good job and I might let you take me out after all!"

She plonked herself on the sofa and laughed at him as he made his way to the kitchen with as much enthusiasm as a man being led to the gallows.

An hour and a half later she decided to take pity on him as she watched him manoeuvre the vacuum cleaner into the lounge.

"So where are you going to take me then?"

"Anywhere you like, just let me finish off in here and then we can go."

She beamed at him. "Ok, I'll go and change."

Jo had to stifle a laugh when she came back downstairs and saw him still vacuuming. He was carefully walking up and down the carpet; first one direction then back up in the other, creating a striped effect on the carpet. He finished the last part, switched the vacuum cleaner off and surveyed his handy work.

"Zaf, it's not a football pitch!"

"This is how I hoover, take it or leave it. Besides, I think it looks good."

Shaking her head at him, she went to go and find her shoes.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"Ice skating."

Had she been in the room, she may have seen the panic-stricken look that crossed his face at her words. Zaf was a man of many talents but keeping his balance on ice was not one of them. He had a sinking feeling that Jo would turn out to be a brilliant ice skater and would be whizzing around the ice having a whale of a time as he held onto the side for dear life and struggled to put one foot in front of the other.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Wow, so I have finally got around to actually writing something that is not a pea fic! _**

**_Happy Belated Birthday to Liz._**

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The November drizzle had eventually forced Harry and Ruth off of the tour bus and in search of shelter. They had unanimously decided that sitting in the cramped confines of the lower deck along with the herds of tourists and the squeaky voiced tour guide was not an option that appealed to either of them. As the bus came to a halt at the next stop, Harry grasped her small hand in his larger one and led them both out onto the busy street. Only realising as the bus pulled away from the kerb that he didn't really have an idea of where they were going next which he confessed to Ruth as she looked at him expectantly.

She laughed quietly at the sheepish expression on his face as she took in their surroundings and tried to figure out where they were. Spotting something that intrigued her, she tugged his hand and started walking up the street until they reached their destination.

"The London Dungeons?! You can't be serious, Ruth."

"Why not? I've never been and I'm almost certain you won't have. It could be fun. Plus, I get to choose remember?!" She could see that he was about to protest again but she beat him to it. "Besides, it'll be dark in there; I could get lost or scared. I need you to hold my hand and protect me."

He knew as well as she did that he would have followed her inside no matter what but the idea of stumbling around in a dark enclosed space with her certainly had its merits.

"You don't need to tend to my ego to get me to agree Ruth." He offered her a warm smile. "If you wanted an opportunity to grope me in the dark that's all you ever had to say."

Amused, he watched as colour began to seep into her cheeks. "That's not what I meant!"

Chuckling he dodged the playful slap that was aimed at his shoulder and grinned unrepentantly. "Pity. I think I'd be much more interested in that..."

He had taken the opportunity to entwine his hand with hers as they walked through the doors, quickly side stepping the area where novelty photographs of people pretending to be being beheaded were taken. The novelty of being in the dark and dank dungeons had worn off after twenty minutes but he decided that as Ruth appeared to be enjoying herself he had best feign interest in his surroundings. He watched as most of the people in front of took the path to the left, tugging on her hand he pulled her to the right hand path which was not only secluded but turned out to be a dead end.

"Harry, what are we...?' her questioning was cut short as his lips pressed against hers. Yielding to his insistent kisses she opened her mouth and let her tongue stroke against his. She could feel the rough edges of the wall pressing into her back as he pinned her against it with his body, excitement tinged with fear coursed through her veins at the thought of what they were doing but she was powerless to resist him after wanting him for so long. His hot kisses travelled down her neck, her eyes slid shut and her fingers weaved through his hair, holding him to her as he gently bit and suckled on her pulse point. He smiled against her skin at the hoarse whisper of his name, wanting nothing more than to hear her say it in that way over and over again.

The loud cough that rang out in the gloom caused them both to freeze. The reality of where they were and what they were doing flooded them. Harry looked briefly at Ruth and offered her a slight smile before turning and facing their intruder, who appeared to be dressed in some sort of filthy and ragged costume.

"Erm, I've been asked by the manager to..." he trailed off when he got a good look at Harry and realised that this couple were older than he had first thought. Generally it was teenagers that got caught out down here not important looking middle aged men. He cleared his throat and tried to sound authoritative. "To ask you to leave."

Five minutes later they were stood back outside in the drizzle, both a little shell shocked and embarrassed at the turn of events.

"You know, I've never heard of anyone ever being thrown _out_of a dungeon."

Noting the humour in her voice Harry reached for her hand and was pleased to find that she took it without hesitation. "Perhaps we should get out of here before anyone does hear about it!"

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Jo had noticed that the nearer they got to approaching the ice, the quieter Zaf had become. His silence as they laced their boots was beginning to unnerve her and she began to wonder if he was having second thoughts about them being out on a 'date' together.

Hoping to break the silence and taking advantage of his fiercely competitive nature she did the only thing she could think of and challenged him. "Last one on the ice has to buy dinner."

Cheekily she poked her tongue out at him and quickly made to get up off the bench, stopping as his wrist clamped down on hers. Realising something was wrong as she looked at his suddenly pale face. "What is it?"

"I, uh, I can't skate." He mumbled gazing intently at the floor, he hadn't wanted to admit it but decided his pride would take less of a bashing from admitting the truth than from her witnessing the spectacle he was sure to become the second his boots touched the ice.

"Really? That's ok Zaf." She squeezed his hand reassuringly and hoped he would look at her "Besides I'm a great teacher."

He was so thankful that she hadn't started laughing and taking the micky out of him that he dutifully, yet slightly warily, followed her to the edge of the ice. As she positioned herself on the rink and held her hand out to him, smiling encouragingly as he reached out towards her with both hands.

"Do you promise not to let go?"

"I promise."

She was true to her word and held on to him as she explained how best to maintain balance whilst moving over the ice. Before long he felt confident enough to just hold onto one of her hands as they glided, albeit slowly, around the rink. He chanced a look at her as they continued to move and was glad to see the happy smile that claimed her face. He was far too wrapped up in thoughts of how beautiful she looked with rosy cheeks from the cold, to notice the young lad hurtling towards them before it was too late. Unfortunately he now realised an oversight in Jo's teaching, she had at no point mentioned how to stop safely, which was he ended up sprawled out on the ice with a sore backside and a decidedly Jo shaped figure lying on top of him. Despite the cold and wet seeping through his clothing he had to admit that he was rather enjoying this part of the afternoon, he began to laugh as she struggled to get up off of him and it wasn't long until she was laughing along with him at their predicament. Which one of them closed the gap between them he wasn't sure, but as his lips met hers in an achingly sweet kiss he didn't care. She tasted of peppermint and lip gloss and he found it an oddly heady combination, making him lose what remaining sanity he had and deepening the kiss.

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**_Reviews are lovely and make me write much faster ;)_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well it's taken a while but almost at the end now :-) Only one more chapter to go.**

**Thanks to Em and Lynn.

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It was getting late and the weather had taken a turn for the worse and rain was now pouring down from the heavens onto the streets below. Harry and Ruth, suitably sheepish after their eviction from the Dungeons earlier, had taken shelter in a nearby coffee bar. Harry had some how managed to acquire them a small table in the far corner and they chatted contentedly over their drinks, enjoying their new found levels of intimacy. Unfortunately the rain had continued and soon enough the small cafe was overcrowded and stuffy. Several people were now hovering close to their table in the hope of claiming it the moment Harry and Ruth moved more than an inch away from it. It was due to this unwanted company that they once more found themselves wondering what to do.

"You could always let me take you out for dinner."

"No." At the look of sheer disappointment on his face she hurried on, eager to return the smile to his handsome features. "I, uh, well I just mean that maybe, we don't have to, but maybe we could go back to my house. I could cook or something."

He reached over the table and covered her fidgeting fingers with his, giving them a quick squeeze of encouragement. "I'd like that. Very much."

"You might change your mind, once you've tasted my cooking!"

He paused, momentarily. "Take away it is then."

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Much to Harry's amusement, Ruth began to curse quietly as she raked through the contents of an overflowing drawer of clutter in her kitchen. Moments later she triumphantly waved a bunch of colourful menus in the air and gave him a slightly embarrassed smile when he remarked that she had an awful lot of menus for someone that claimed not to eat too much junk food.

"Wine?"

"Yes, please."

"Ok, you go sit in the lounge and I'll crack open a bottle."

Doing as he was told Harry dutifully made his way to the lounge and settled himself on the sofa. It wasn't until she plonked the bottle of wine and two glasses down in front of him, startling him with the clunking noise, that he looked up from the yellow folded paper he was reading.

"I didn't know you wore glasses, Harry."

"A sign of my age, I fear." Slightly thrown by the conversation and a little embarrassed about having to wear them, he reached up and made to remove them.

"No leave them on!" She could feel the heat in her face as colour seeped into her cheeks. A slight tilt of his head to one side and a half raised eyebrow indicated to her that she should explain herself. "I like them, they make you look..."

"If the end of that sentence is intelligent then I'm going to be upset, Ruth."

"Sexy." Shy but determined to see her compliment through, she spoke in a hurried whisper. "Well, sexier I should say."

He noted that her hand shook slightly as she distracted herself by pouring the wine. He waited until she could pretend to be busy no more and sat, somewhat awkwardly, next to him on the sofa.

"I think a compliment like that deserves a kiss..."

She smiled shyly at him but shuffled closer to him as he turned and leant towards her. The first kiss was innocent enough, a nice blend of chasteness with an underlying hint of passion. It was the second and third kisses which ultimately led them in a new direction and without quite knowing how they ended up with her across his lap, buttons half undone and hair mussed from wandering hands.

She toyed with the remaining buttons on his shirt, keeping her head low as she whispered to him. He reached a hand under her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his.

"There's nothing I want more." He kissed her to emphasise his point, ensuring to pull away before it got out of control. "I don't know where the bedroom is though Ruth, so you're going to have to help me out!"

She laughed and he marvelled at how wonderful it was to be with her like this, to hold her, kiss her and to make her laugh. A broad smile claimed his face as she stood and offered her hand to him.

---

Across the city an unusually quiet Zaf followed an even quieter Jo into their flat. Since the abrupt halt of their kiss, when a couple of ten year olds skated by chanting about kissing before dissolving into fits of giggles, they hadn't really spoken to one another. Jo had garbled something about their hour being up and skated off to the side, leaving Zaf not only confused as to what had happened between them but fearing for his life as he stumbled across the ice towards the edge of the rink.

They had been home for less than ten minutes when Zaf had had enough of them skirting around each other, how Harry and Ruth managed to get any kind of work done with this sort of tension between them was beyond him. Throwing the TV remote to the other end of the sofa he headed for the kitchen where he could hear her making a cup of tea and decided to take a more, Zaf –like approach.

"Do you fancy me?"

Ready to lie to him, so that things could go back to normal, she gave him a stern glare and went back to making the tea.

"You do!"

She didn't have to look at him to know he was smiling, his tone said it all for him.

"Don't worry Jo..."

"It can't be helped, I know Zaf. You've told me this before. Women simply find you irresistible. I'm simply one of the many."

"Actually, I was going to say it's ok because I fancy you too."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh!" He moved to where she was stood and reached for her hand. "I really had a good time today and well, I'd like to do it again. What do you say?"

"I'd like that." Her smile was sweet and he couldn't help but smile with her.

"Great." He winked and walked to the door, calling over his shoulder." Mine's a coffee, if you're making them."

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**A review would be lovely.**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is the final chapter, thank you for reading.**

**Thanks to Lynn for the beta.**

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Her eyelashes fluttered moments before her eyes opened to find him sat on the side of the bed watching over her.

"Morning sleepyhead." He murmured, a soft smile playing about his lips as he leant down and stole a brief kiss.

"Mmm morning." She mumbled, reaching out and pulling him back in for a lengthier kiss.

Reluctantly he broke the kiss off before he was tempted to climb back under the covers with her and reacquaint himself with her body. "I brought you some coffee, I have to go home and get ready for work. If you like I could come back and give you a lift in?"

Sitting up, she propped herself against the pillows and reached for the cup of steaming hot coffee he had brought her, "What time is it?"

"Half past six. I didn't want to wake you, but I didn't want to just leave either."

Her smile was partially hidden by the rim of her coffee cup but he saw it all the same and tried to look outraged when she told him he was cute. "I am not cute. Bunny's are cute, Ruth. I'm manly." He fixed her with a mock glare as she started to giggle. "Do I need to demonstrate?"

She swallowed hard as he loomed over her, mind awash with images of just how he might prove himself to her. Her hands gripped her coffee mug tightly as his mouth moved to her ear. His hot breath tickled her skin and she couldn't help the small moan that escaped her as his lips brushed against her ear as he whispered all manner of things he would do to her. She was flushed and panting slightly by the time he leant back and looked her in the eye; smirking he stood up and moved to the doorway.

"It takes a real man to walk away from a beautiful, aroused woman. I'll let myself out."

"Bastard," she muttered as he walked away and heard him laugh in response. She had half hoped that he was bluffing but on hearing the front door shut firmly, she knew he had left.

---

By 07:15 an immaculately dressed Ros entered the pods and swept onto the Grid in her usual manner, only to find it deserted. She noted, with a slight raise of her well defined eyebrow, that Harry's office was still in darkness and wondered briefly if he had somehow managed to get himself a life over the weekend.

Taking advantage of the early morning quiet, she shrugged her coat off, picked a small cream envelope from her Prada handbag and walked towards the forgery suite. A few minutes later she returned to her desk and began the task of sifting through departmental alerts and e-mails that were waiting for her when she logged on to the network. She looked up as the pods began to open and spotted Malcolm struggling through holding a briefcase in one hand and a cardboard tray with what appeared to be two cups of coffee on, in the other. Safely through the pods, he made his way over to her desk smiling shyly at her as she watched and waited.

"Double Espresso." He took one of the cardboard cups from the tray and placed it in front of her on the desk. "A-and a blueberry muffin."

He looked terrified as he passed her the muffin and she tried not to laugh at the expression on his face. "Are you trying to fatten me up, Malcolm?"

"No! I j-just thought that we could have breakfast, together."

She nodded and smiled her assent, resisting the urge to tell him that she could think of a much more intimate place to enjoy their first breakfast together. She was aware not to push things too fast; despite a lovely evening together on Saturday he was still nervous and jumpy around her. She had vowed to take things slowly and let him set the pace. She only hoped that he liked the opera tickets she had managed to secure for later in the week and didn't think it was too forward of her.

"I'd like that."

---

Stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist Harry hummed to himself, it had been quite some time since he had been this happy on a Monday morning. He thought about her as he went about his morning routine of shaving, finding it absurd that he cut himself twice in the process due to thinking about their weekend together. He was busy blotting his small wounds as he walked across the landing and into his bedroom and it took him a moment to realise that the curtains had been pulled on in his absence, casting the room into a gloomy darkness. His attention was caught by the figure lounging gracefully in the centre of his bed, he was thankful she could not see the light blush that stained his cheeks when she let out a low wolf whistle.

She gave a soft laugh when his hands automatically held the towel tighter to his waist. "Not shy, are you Harry?!"

"Absolutely not," he stated defiantly, putting his hands on his hips and sucking his belly in slightly. "Just surprised is all. I didn't have you down as the breaking and entering type."

"It's hardly breaking in when I have a key, is it?"

"Well, I suppose not but I'm not sure I'd class this as an emergency either!"

She shuffled off the bed and crossed over to where he stood. "That depends on your perspective..." She finally gave into the temptation to touch him and smoothed her palms down his broad chest. "I'd say that being left all hot and bothered, such as I was this morning, warrants decisive action."

His breath caught as her hands reached the top of his towel and he felt her fingers tug on the material until it loosened and fell away from his body. She scratched her nails teasingly over the tops of his thighs and delighted in the low growl that sounded in the back of his throat. He reached out and pulled her roughly against the length of his body, capturing her lips with his in a searing kiss.

"We'll be...late for...work," she teased between kisses, laughing when his response was to walk her backwards and push her gently onto the bed.

---

"As much as I hate to say it, we really do have to get out of bed and get ready for work." He kissed her forehead as she looked up from where her hand was tracing an indistinct pattern across his chest.

"I know, I just like it here." She sighed happily against his mouth as she stretched up for a kiss.

"Me too," he murmured. "I'm suddenly wishing that we could work from home."

She laughed softly as she reluctantly pulled herself from his warm embrace and set about trying to find her clothes. "I very much doubt we'd get any work done and then what would my boss say?!"

"I'm sure he'd understand." He smiled and eased himself out of bed. "Although I'm not sure my boss would!"

Ruth laughed at him as he shuddered from the cold air, finding it felt strangely right for them to be so at ease with one another despite having only just overcome all the obstacles that had previously hindered their way to one another. As they dressed in companionable silence it appeared that Harry's thoughts were on a similar path to her own.

"What will you tell our incredibly nosey but well meaning colleagues?" he asked as casually as he could manage, hoping that she would not clam up and flee once reality set in.

Smiling softly at him she crossed to where he stood, reaching up and helping turn his collar down over his tie. He could see the emotion and sincerity in her eyes as she whispered "I'll tell them that you're worth every penny, Harry."

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